News Releases

News Release: WGU Enlists Students to Create TV Commercial, 6/17/10

Online university to award more than $12,000 in scholarships and prizes for winning entries

SALT LAKE CITY (June 17, 2010) Western Governors University, www.wgu.edu, the nation’s only competency-based university, is asking the experts—its students—to help create its next television commercial. Beginning today, WGU students and prospective students can enter the “Make a Great WGU Commercial Video Contest” by going to www.wgu.edu/videocontest and entering an original 60-second “commercial” that illustrates why WGU is “A Smarter Way to Learn.” All accepted entries will be posted on the WGU website, winners will be selected by WGU staff and popular vote, and more than $12,000 in scholarships and prizes are at stake.

“Our students are the experts—they know why WGU is a smarter way to learn,” said WGU’s Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment Patrick Partridge. “We’re confident that they’ll bring us some fun and fresh new ideas.”

The Grand Prize is a scholarship valued up to $7,500 (payable at $1,500 every six-month term enrolled, for up to five terms) and a $500 cash prize. Second and third place prizes are $3,000 and $2,000 scholarships, with two runner-up prizes of $100 Amazon.com gift certificates. The winning scholarships can be used for tuition at Western Governors University or WGU Indiana and may be used in any of WGU’s four colleges: Business, Information Technology, Education, and Health Professions.

The deadline for all contest submissions is July 15. Entries can be submitted through the official contest page, www.wgu.edu/videocontest, and online voting by the general public begins July 16. The top 10 finalists will then be posted to the WGU contest website on July 27, when a second round of voting will continue through August 10. Winners will be decided based on the amount of votes they receive online and by a panel of WGU judges. Contest winners will be announced August 13, 2010. For more information and the official rules, please visit www.wgu.edu/videocontest.